Attack on Titan Episode 74: Sole Salvation

A young boy named Zeke is with his parents, Grisha and Dina, atop a tower overlooking the city of Liberio. Grisha tells Zeke that as Eldians, they are confined to their internment zone and asks if he would like to see the outside world, to which Zeke agrees. A maintenance worker then confronts them, dousing them with water and criticizing Eldians for past actions. As they walk through the streets, facing hostility from Marleyan citizens, Grisha embraces Zeke and tells him that if he cannot tolerate the world as it is, he must change it.

Later, Warrior candidates are training, observed by two men. One, Tom Xaver, wonders if his successor is among them. The other, Theo Magath, comments that Zeke, who is lagging, does not seem to have the courage to be a Warrior. After training, Zeke's parents take him to his grandparents' house. Zeke admits training was tough, but his parents express confidence in him, saying he has a special power and is their son. Inside, Zeke overhears his grandfather, Mr. Jaeger, questioning Grisha and Dina about their frequent "social dancing club" meetings, suggesting they neglect Zeke. Dina believes Zeke will eventually understand their true activities.

Mr. Jaeger tells Zeke a story about the destruction of Marleyan cities by Titans 1200 years ago, describing how the Eldian Empire wiped out hundreds of thousands of Marleyans in a single day. Zeke interrupts, annoyed. His grandfather asks if Grisha has been teaching him Eldia's true history, and Zeke replies that Grisha tells him the same things he learns at school. Mr. Jaeger then asks if Zeke wants to become a Warrior and fight for Marley, and Zeke unenthusiastically agrees. Before putting Zeke to bed, Mr. Jaeger looks at a picture of a deceased relative named Fay.

Days later, after finishing his training early, Zeke sees a father and son playing. He hopes to do the same with Grisha, but his father instead makes him study history. Feeling dejected after being belittled by Magath and other candidates, Zeke leaves the training area. He sees a baseball roll towards him and Xaver calls for him to pitch it back. Xaver notices Zeke's throwing talent and offers to play catch, introducing himself as a Titan researcher and the current holder of the Beast Titan. Zeke smiles for the first time that day as he plays catch with Xaver.

That night, Zeke overhears Grisha and another man named Grice discussing a plan that involves Zeke becoming a holder of one of Marley's Titans. Zeke returns to the training area but continues to struggle. He sees his parents observing him but they leave as he cries from his struggles. Xaver also notices this.

Zeke later overhears his parents arguing about his performance and tells Xaver about it. Xaver suggests that Zeke doesn't truly want to be a Warrior and points out the drawbacks of becoming one. Xaver reveals he became a Warrior only to research the Nine Titans and states that honest people like them are not suited to be fighters.

When Zeke overhears that Marleyan authorities are close to discovering the Eldian Restorationists, and witnesses a harsh reaction from Grisha, he becomes conflicted and seeks Xaver's advice. Xaver advises Zeke to report his parents to the authorities, citing their poor treatment of him. Zeke eventually does so and is subsequently accepted by his peers.

As time passes, Xaver's health declines. He reveals to Zeke that his research indicates the Founding Titan can not only alter memories but also change the physical composition of Subjects of Ymir. Zeke suggests that if this is true, the Founder could be used to sterilize all Subjects of Ymir, leading to their eradication in about a century. Xaver then shares that his Marleyan wife, upon discovering his Eldian heritage, killed both their son and herself out of shame. Xaver expresses regret, wishing he had never been born. Zeke promises Xaver that he will inherit the Beast Titan and use it to take the Founder from both Eldia and Marley, aiming to free the world from the terror of Titans.

Xaver later explains how to circumvent a previous vow of renouncing war: if a Titan of royal blood comes into contact with the individual possessing the Founding Titan, its power can be activated. However, the individual of royal blood cannot directly control the power; the decision remains with the Founding Titan holder. Xaver tells Zeke to see himself as a key and to find someone trustworthy to wield the Founding Titan.

Sometime later, Zeke inherits the Beast Titan from Xaver. He puts on Xaver's glasses and calls him "Father," vowing to find a suitable person for their plan.

Zeke learns from Reiner and Bertholdt that Eren possesses the Founding Titan and that Eren's father, a doctor, is missing. Zeke realizes Grisha did not die when he was sent to Paradis Island and that his father had done to Eren what he had done to Zeke. Zeke then promises Eren he will rescue him.

Years later, Zeke meets Eren in Marley, where Eren is pretending to be an injured soldier. Eren tells Zeke about obtaining his father's memories and how Grisha killed a family to take the Founding Titan. Eren understands that if any of that family's children had lived, he might have been fed to them to regain the Founder, and that their survival was due to those children's deaths. Eren expresses disagreement with Grisha's plan, stating that if Eldians had never been born, no one would have suffered. Eren agrees to cooperate with Zeke's plan.

Back in a cart, Zeke finishes recalling his memories of Xaver. A man named Levi overhears some of Zeke's muttering and dismisses it as delusions. Levi muses that being eaten by a Titan would be a merciful fate for Zeke after he killed so many of Levi's comrades. Zeke counters that he saved the lives of the children they would have birthed from a cruel world.

As Levi stops the wagon and moves to cut off Zeke's regenerating legs, Zeke suddenly screams Xaver's name. He then jerks his head back, activating a triggering mechanism on a Thunder Spear lodged in his abdomen. Levi is blown into the air as Zeke's body is split in two by the resulting explosion.